Astro.
"...Wait. Guys. Stop."
I felt a violent aura nearby, something maybe wild and maybe maleficent. My breath caught in my throat as I asked the command. If I'd have been able to speak it, I probably would've stuttered.
"We can't stop and make lunch, Astro," Amber sighed.
"No, stop!" I didn't yet know Riley knew about aura, so I didn't know how to explain it. "Th-there's something in the grass. I can feel it!"
Riley, just a few short paces in front of us, paused. "R-really?" I could sense his unease.
The girls naturally stopped as well, Amber almost bumping into Riley's backpack. My nose bumped the denim bag.
The three of them stood there for a moment. Riley looked around, closing his eyes for a moment. He clutched the case holding his pokemon egg almost protectively.
"What do you mean, 'I can feel it'?" Dee asked slowly.
My heart sped up. "Uhh..." How could they understand?
The same violent aura lingered around us. I closed my eyes, and could see a faint blue shape. It was fuzzy, so I wasn't sure exactly what it could be. If it was a pokemon, I sure as hell couldn't identify it.
Amber tightened her arms around me. "Astro?" She called to me, a fearful edge to her voice.
We were in the middle of a field of Riley-high grass, something hostile nearby, and none of us were ready to determine what to do without possible danger.
The story of my life.
"...What do you...feel...?" Riley asked, thinking hard for words. His voice sounded strained. I'd had a feeling he understood what I was talking about, but chose it ignore it.
"I...I dunno. Keep going straight, and maybe it'll go away...?" A horrible suggestion, really. The feeling of their combined fear formed a heavy lump in my throat. "Don't take my word for it."
The girls had to have known something was up, between Riley's behavior and my change in tone. Dee was always pretty perceptive, and Amber wasn't nearly as stupid as we've let on so far. Ditzy, but never stupid.
[Hey! I wasn't ditzy!]
Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart, but a Lucario don't lie.
The kids kept walking, at my request, but now it was silent. Even Riolu could feel the creeped-out vibes, I reckon.
Finally, mercifully, the grass started to thin out. Eventually, we were back in ankle-sized grass, just mine and Riolu's size. The kids visibly sighed.
"Thank God, we're out of that." Dee set Riolu on the ground, verbalizing what we all felt. "Astro, why'd you have to go and say something stupid like that back there?"
I looked down at the ground as Amber set me down. "Well, I-" I got cut off.
"Don't yell at him." Riley and Amber chimed in together. I looked up, and Riley looked away, a brilliant blush decorating his face.
Dee looked about ready to press the subject, but instead dropped it. "Whatever. We'll go a little farther before I start on lunch, alright?"
"Great," Amber chirped. "I'm starving."
Third Person Narrative.
"Mooooooommm...I dont wanna move."
Meanwhile, further east in the region, a moving truck cwas transporting a whole house's worth of possessions, along with Maxwell Daniels, his 3 year old sister Michelle, and their mother, Annie.
Annie ran her fingers through her son's sand-colored hair. "I know you don't, Max," She murmured soothingly. "But, Daddy's got a big job, and he has to stay close to it. And we need to stay close to Daddy..."
"But what about Barry?" Max demanded. "He's my best friend. You can't just leave your best friend!"
Annie smiled. "I know, honey. But you can still see Barry. As long as your sister and the twins are friends, I can arrange playdates with Jenny."
"Hmph." Max crossed his arms, looking at his feet. "I'm not gonna make friends, Mom. Barry'd be mad if I replaced him. So, don't go and make playdates withany other kids, 'cause I ain't gonna be friends with them."
"That's nice, honey." Annie turned her attention to the neglected magazine in her lap.
The lack of attention put Max in an even worse mood. He stared at his baby sister, sleeping in a car seat.
As he reached out to grab her hair, his mother reached put and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
Annie sighed heavily. "Maxwell." She rolled her eyes, not looking away from her magazine. "Don't you dare pull Michelle's hair, or I swear to God, no candy when we get to Veilstone."
Max stuck out his tongue.